Golf club having a damping element for ball speed control

Abstract

A golf club head including a striking face, a periphery portion surrounding and extending rearwards from the striking face, a damping element including a front surface and a rear surface, the rear surface of the damping element opposite the front surface of the damping element, wherein the striking face comprises a first portion having a substantially constant thickness, wherein the front surface of the damping element comprises a geometric center, wherein the striking face comprises a second portion, the second portion of the striking face located heelward of the center face plane, the second portion of the striking face having a thickness which tapers from a maximum thickness at a thick end of the second portion to a minimum thickness at a thin end of the second portion, wherein the thick end is located toeward of the thin end.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A golf club head comprising:
 a striking face; 
 a periphery portion surrounding and extending rearwards from said striking face; 
 a coordinate system centered at a center of gravity of said golf club head, said coordinate system comprising a y-axis extending vertically, perpendicular to a ground plane when said golf club head is in an address position at prescribed loft and lie, an x-axis perpendicular to said y-axis and parallel to the striking face, extending towards a heel of said golf club head, and a z-axis, perpendicular to said y-axis and said x-axis and extending through said striking face; 
 a hosel configured to receive a shaft, said hosel located on a heel side of said golf club head, said heel side located opposite a toe side; 
 wherein said striking face comprises a front surface configured to strike a golf ball and a rear surface opposite said front surface; 
 a damping element comprising a front surface and a rear surface, said rear surface of said damping element opposite said front surface of said damping element; 
 wherein said front surface of said damping element is in contact with said rear surface of said striking face; 
 wherein said striking face comprises a first portion having a substantially constant thickness measured from said front surface to said rear surface; 
 wherein said striking face comprises a plurality of scorelines having the same length measured along said x-axis; and 
 a center face plane parallel to said y-axis and said z-axis, said center face plane located equidistant from a heel-most extent of said plurality of scorelines and a toe-most extent of said plurality of scorelines; 
 wherein said front surface of said damping element contacts said first portion of said striking face; 
 wherein said front surface of said damping element comprises a geometric center; 
 wherein said geometric center of said front surface of said damping element is located toeward of said center face plane; 
 wherein said striking face comprises a second portion, said second portion of said striking face located heelward of said center face plane, said second portion of said striking face having a thickness measured from said front surface to said rear surface which tapers from a maximum thickness at a thick end of said second portion to a minimum thickness at a thin end of said second portion, wherein said thick end is located toeward of said thin end; 
 wherein said geometric center of said front surface of said damping element is located a damping offset distance measured along said x-axis from said center face plane, wherein said thick end of said second portion of said striking face is located a heel offset distance measured along said x-axis from said center face plane, and wherein said heel offset distance is greater than said damping offset distance. 
 
     
     
       2. The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said damping offset distance is greater than or equal to 5 mm. 
     
     
       3. The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said second portion has a height measured along said y-axis which tapers from a maximum height at said thick end of said second portion to a minimum height at said thin end of said second portion. 
     
     
       4. The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said first portion of said striking face extends above said second portion along said y-axis. 
     
     
       5. The golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein a chamfer is formed between an upper edge of said second portion and said first portion. 
     
     
       6. The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said striking face comprises a third portion, said third portion of said striking face located toeward of said center face plane, said third portion of said striking face having a thickness measured from said front surface to said rear surface which tapers from a maximum thickness at a heel end of said third portion to a minimum thickness at a toe end of said third portion. 
     
     
       7. The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said periphery portion comprises a sole extending rearwards from a bottom of said striking face, a topline extending rearwards from a top of said striking face, and a back portion extending upwards from said sole and spaced from said striking face, wherein said striking face and said periphery portion form an internal cavity, wherein said damping element resides within said internal cavity, and wherein said rear surface of said damping element is in contact with said periphery portion. 
     
     
       8. A golf club head comprising:
 a striking face; 
 a periphery portion surrounding and extending rearwards from said striking face; 
 a coordinate system centered at a center of gravity of said golf club head, said coordinate system comprising a y-axis extending vertically, perpendicular to a ground plane when said golf club head is in an address position at prescribed loft and lie, an x-axis perpendicular to said y-axis and parallel to the striking face, extending towards a heel of said golf club head, and a z-axis, perpendicular to said y-axis and said x-axis and extending through said striking face; 
 a hosel configured to receive a shaft, said hosel located on a heel side of said golf club head, said heel side located opposite a toe side; 
 wherein said striking face comprises a front surface configured to strike a golf ball and a rear surface opposite said front surface; 
 a damping element comprising a front surface and a rear surface, said rear surface of said damping element opposite said front surface of said damping element; 
 wherein said front surface of said damping element is in contact with said rear surface of said striking face; 
 wherein said striking face comprises a first portion having a substantially constant thickness measured from said front surface to said rear surface; 
 wherein said striking face comprises a plurality of scorelines having the same length measured along said x-axis; and 
 a center face plane parallel to said y-axis and said z-axis, said center face plane located equidistant from a heel-most extent of said plurality of scorelines and a toe-most extent of said plurality of scorelines; 
 wherein said front surface of said damping element contacts said first portion of said striking face; 
 wherein said front surface of said damping element comprises a geometric center; 
 wherein said striking face comprises a second portion, said second portion of said striking face located heelward of said center face plane, said second portion of said striking face having a thickness measured from said front surface to said rear surface which tapers at a constant rate along said x-axis from a maximum thickness at a thick end of said second portion to a minimum thickness at a thin end of said second portion, wherein said thick end is located toeward of said thin end, wherein said second portion has a height which tapers from a maximum height at said thick end of said second portion to a minimum height at said thin end of said second portion. 
 
     
     
       9. The golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein said geometric center of said front surface of said damping element is located toeward of said center face plane. 
     
     
       10. The golf club head of  claim 9 , wherein said geometric center of said front surface of said damping element is located a damping offset distance measured along said x-axis from said center face plane, wherein said thick end of said second portion of said striking face is located a heel offset distance measured along said x-axis from said center face plane, and wherein said heel offset distance is greater than said damping offset distance. 
     
     
       11. The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein said damping offset distance is greater than or equal to 5 mm. 
     
     
       12. The golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein said periphery portion comprises a sole extending rearwards from a bottom of said striking face, a topline extending rearwards from a top of said striking face, and a back portion extending upwards from said sole and spaced from said striking face, wherein said striking face and said periphery portion form an internal cavity, wherein said damping element resides within said internal cavity, and wherein said rear surface of said damping element is in contact with said periphery portion.